Tag Archives: Watry

The Truth Behind Common Parking Myths

Myth Busting text on document above brown isolated on Office DeskBy Matt Davis and Michael Pendergrass, AIA, LEED AP, DBIA

While parking structures are an extremely common building type, there are a great deal of misconceptions about them. Are parking structures as unsafe as Hollywood leads us to believe? Are they ugly, necessary evils? Is there a single, credible answer to the question, “what is the average cost of a parking stall?”

While we have all been in parking structures that fit the unpleasant Hollywood stereotype, modern parking best practices have come a long way in elevating the parking experience. Tomorrow, (Wednesday, November 10), we will tackle parking fact vs. parking fiction in “The Truth Behind Common Parking Myths.” Learn about the structural differences between designing for cars and designing for people. Discover the many layers that factor into the cost of a parking stall. Explore the true size of a parking footprint, learn how that impacts the design process, and much more. Earn 1 CAPP point, too.

Despite the many preconceptions, parking is a vital component of many projects that can significantly impact the user experience in a positive way. Register now to learn more!

Matt Davis and Michael Pendergrass, AIA, LEED AP, DBIA, are principals with Watry Design.

A Look at Facebook’s One-stop Mobility Hub

Photo of Facebook's new parking garage with bike parking behind it
Photo by Matt Davis

When Facebook built the Menlo Gateway phase of its Menlo Park headquarters, the company knew getting employees around would be paramount. So the sprawling complex includes three parking structures, the first of which was designed to be a one-stop mobility hub that would give employees lots of choices for getting from point A to point B.

The mobility hub includes lots of traditional parking, but it also lets employees connect to the campus shuttle system, drop off or pick up bikes, lockers and showers, and features expanded pick-up and drop-off zones, and charging stations with valet service to keep vehicles moving into and out of charging spaces as their vehicles reach capacity.

The mobility hub is hailed as a glimpse of the future of parking, both on campuses and in cities, and it’s profiled in this month’s Parking & Mobility magazine. Take a deep dive into the new structure and what its construction might mean for the industry going forward–read it here.